TOLEDO — Community members are raising concerns about the demolition of a house where a 13-year-old’s body was found last month after a fire damaged the structure over the weekend.
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Kei’Mani Latigue was found in the abandoned home in Toledo on March 24. The city has demolished the house after a fire severely damaged the structure on Miami Street last weekend, according to our news partner WTOL.
Toledo Municipal Court documents state that Latigue’s father, Darnell Jones-Ogletree, admitted to police that he killed his daughter.
Jones-Ogletree has been charged with murder, abduction and the felonious assault of his daughter, according to WTOL.
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Regarding the abduction charge that Jones-Ogletree faces, a second affidavit was filed that alleges Jones-Ogletree dragged Kei’Mani involuntarily to the vacant house where he killed her, as reported by News Center 7.
Multiple Toledo residents shared their concerns with WTOL about the house demolition and the fire that happened over the weekend.
The Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that a site critical to the investigation was damaged by the fire last weekend.
“It was an ugly sight and what happened in it was even uglier,” nearby resident Herman Singleton said.
Although he is relieved that the site of tragedy is now gone, Singleton said he worries about the fire’s origin.
“Kind of happy that it happened, and then I started getting worried. What if there’s an arson bug around here? I do want Toledo police to investigate that,” Singleton said.
Singleton told WTOL that other fires have happened in the area and fears for the safety of his own home.
Authorities have not determined if the fire at the abandoned Miami Street home was intentional or not, according to WTOL.
“I’m just worried for this community right here, this small community. We don’t do anything to cause trouble or anything,” Singleton said.
Toledo resident Jenifer Melnek said she hopes Kei’Mani gets the justice she deserves and shared her concerns that the house demolition may have compromised critical evidence in the investigation.
“A little heart-wrenching because I was thinking, did they find all the evidence that they needed against the father?” Melnek said.
A ‘makeshift memorial’ currently stands near the rubble of the demolished house to remember Kei’Mani. Melnek said she visits the memorial regularly, according to WTOL.
Singleton said he hopes they will replace this temporary memorial with something that can last.
“Instead of the balloons and stuff, a permanent memorial will help ease the people’s minds,” Singleton said.
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